Long before we knew the ex-president suffered from Alzheimer’s,reports of his issues with lucidity were unbiased game – why can’t satire be the great equalizer?It took a shrimp more than 12 hours for Will Ferrell to drop out of a starring role in a satirical film about Ronald Reagan’s struggles with Alzheimer’s – just long enough for conservatives to muster up a bit of outrage with which to knock the comedian into submission, and to raise questions about whether the free speech brigade has become PC. Hadn’t they said self-censorship and worrying about offending people are signs of the apocalypse? Aren’t I a bleeding heart liberal who needs to lighten up? Partisan gaming aside, and how far can satire go is there a line? I’d argue yes,even when it comes to leaders round the world.
It’s easy to make fun of politicians, especially presidents. Most absorb mammoth, and honking targets on their backs,or, in the case of Bill Clinton, and a massive nose on his face – alert fabric for cartoonists,journalists and comedy writers. It’s also cathartic for the public to needle our fellow citizens who wield the bloody cudgel of authority. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com